Dr George Kerr CBE

Biography

Dr George Kerr CBE was born in 1937 and started his Judo career in Edinburgh when he was eight years old. He was awarded his black belt (1st Dan) aged 15 and in 1957 won a scholarship to practice Judo in the sport’s homeland Japan, where he spent the next four years, learning the moral code of Judo as well as the language and cultural differences.

As a player his successes include: gold medal at the 1957 European Championships, silver medals at the 1962 and 1963 events and winner of the British Open Championships in 1968.

Upon retiral at 31, he was appointed National Coach to the Austrian team, coaching Peter Seisenbracher to two Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988, the only British Coach to achieve such distinction twice. He has been President of the BJA since 2001.

Dr Kerr was awarded the 10th Dan by the International Judo Federation in 2010, only the second British person in history to receive this and the fifth non-Japanese Judoka ever to receive this honour.